When Viral Fame Fades: From Binley Mega Chippy to the Spudman

In March 2022, I visited the Binley Mega Chippy fish and chip shop in my hometown of Coventry, ten minutes after it opened for dinner, and joined the ever-growing queue of people stretching across a tarmac car park at the edge of a road winding along the busy A-road.

A line of cars waiting to park blocked traffic on a road normally populated only by commuters navigating Binley's concrete jungle of roadworks and roundabouts. A local in front of me was annoyed at having to stand twice as long for his regular order while hordes of teenagers waited eagerly, their phone cameras at the ready.

For weeks, people from all over the world traveled hours to visit this inconspicuous snack bar. Cars beeped joyfully past as teenagers belted out the anthem that had made the seemingly unremarkable diner a star.

The Binley Mega Chippy team (and Coventry locals) were amazed at the sudden rise in popularity. It became famous thanks to a catchy jingle that went viral on TikTok. The tune was created by someone unrelated to the company – using the app's built-in AI voice generator – and consists of just three lyrics: “Binley Mega Chippy,” repeated four times to a tune reminiscent of “For He's.” a Jolly Good Fellow”. Collection doesn't take long. At one point the chippy owner told the BBC that he was doing ten times his normal trading.

Two years later, there is no longer a line outside when I return to the diner. There is no jingle to be heard either; just the hum of the light flickering above the counter and the quiet chatter of waiting customers. You're spoiled for choice when it comes to parking space – but the road construction that made the intersection difficult two years ago is still there.

“It was really difficult to deal with back then – [but looking back] Everything that happened was positive,” says Vishal Sharma – wearing a Binley Mega Chippy T-shirt once coveted by thousands – who was working at the chippy during his viral moment.

The store went out of its way to capitalize on its TikTok fans. Redbubble and Etsy sites sold merchandise ranging from T-shirts bearing the Chippy's name to pillows and shower curtains, while social media sites encouraged followers to create Binley Mega Chippy fan art. The legend still lives on today. “A guy from Australia was here a few weeks ago,” says Sharma. “He wore his own t-shirt that said 'It's paradise but I've never been there: Binley Mega Chippy'.”

Binley Mega Chippy isn't the only place to enjoy a brief period of TikTok fame: Generation Z seems to love platforming in ordinary establishments, leading to a sudden and often confusing rise to internet stardom .

Ben Newman, known as Spudman, runs a eponymous jacket potato stall in Tamworth which has 3.5 million followers on TikTok. In at least five places, giant letters adorn the truck with his adopted name, along with cartoon avatars of the man himself.

Newman, a larger-than-life figure with a pink mohawk, realized his social media efforts had paid off shortly after Christmas 2023 when one of his videos reached over a million views. He has since racked up over 70 million likes and his most popular video – in which he makes a cheesy baked potato for his last customer of the day – has over 111.5 million views.

Virality sparked a wave of new customers flocking to the booth, including influencers Newman had followed for years. It even landed him a feature on national radio. “The most surreal moment was when a train driver from Tamworth brought a potato to Scott Mills for his Radio 2 show,” he says.

Like Binley Mega Chippy, it became an international hit, attracting tourists looking for “authentic” British cuisine: “We had people traveling from all over the world to eat a potato [as far afield as] Malaysia and America. People greet me on the street like I’m an old friend!”

Chasing TikTok fame requires smart forethought. British Patagonia, an Islington-based cafe, saw a surge in customers after its summer croissant/ice cream hybrid, the “Ice Crone,” went viral in 2023.

“I spent a few weeks thinking about the product: how to serve it, how to name it and how to decorate it. The Ice Crown was planned and designed in every way – but the popularity that followed was definitely unexpected,” says founder Matias Barbat.

Due to a lack of marketing budget, he initially invited some micro-influencers to try out the product against TikTok videos. It exploded and soon bigger TikTok creators came on their own, taking their hordes of followers with them.

The cafe, which only opened in 2022, struggled to keep up with increasing demand: “We started selling 150 to 200 ice cubes a day – it was a big struggle for us. We were not prepared for such a demand because we lacked the structure. Over time, we started implementing a system and found better ways to produce and meet demand,” says Barbat.

It's a luxurious problem—but TikTok virality also brings with it more serious problems than inventory shortages.

For Spudman, the negative side of fame affected him on a personal level. “[There were] fake Google reviews, fake EHO [environmental health officer] Complaints and trolls,” he says. “There have also been issues with certain toxic YouTubers creating videos with false information, and negative people from the past doing the same for their own benefit.” As his fan base grew, so did the trolling – so much so that his wife withdrew from the company's social media after struggling with negativity.

Charlie Howes, CEO of digital marketing agency Klatch, says the downsides of virality are often overlooked: “The sudden influx of customers can strain resources, lead to long wait times and potentially lead to a drop in service quality if the company doesn't “does.” prepared,” he says. “The attention may be short-lived – if not managed well, the company could find it difficult to sustain the initial hype.”

Just as suddenly as TikTok becomes famous, its fickle algorithm tends to divert its attention elsewhere, leaving companies behind.

And although Newman continues to grow his Spudman TikTok fan base, the impact of his sudden virality is also fading. But instead of lamenting the fleeting fame, he remains positive. “Even though I've peaked and am regularly told I've 'fallen off,' I remind people that I've done more than most; I’m still busy at the trailer and people are still visiting and supporting us and I really appreciate that.”

While TikTok is often criticized for the toxicity that can arise from its depths, the brief popularity enjoyed by these independent establishments – however inexplicable it may be – has buoyed business owners during difficult economic times. “As expenses increase, it’s difficult to keep up,” says Barbat; “[The ice crone] definitely helped keep the business going.”

And despite its drawbacks, TikTok has allowed Newman to deliver a positive message — both about his business and his personal health issues — to an audience he wouldn't have otherwise had access to. On his TikTok profile — listed right after a collection of videos documenting his cash-and-carry trips — is a playlist in which he undergoes kidney dialysis and talks about the process. “It gave me a platform to raise awareness about kidney disease,” he says. “I feel like I have created a positive community, both within the potato world and within my local community.”